Machine for operating upon soles



June 26, 1928. 1,674,678

. O F. E. BERTRAND MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON SOLES Filed March 9, 1925 'Figl.

- Patented June 26,1928.

UNITED srATEs P ATEN T OF rnnnnnic' n. BERTBAND, or LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T UNITED snon MACHINERY CORPORATION, JERSEY.

MAC I E FOR OPERATING ron soLEs "Application filed March 9, 19 25. Serial No. 14,149;

The present invention relates to machines for operating upon shoe parts, such as soles,

and is herein illustrated' as embodied ina machine of the type of the well'known, commercial Goodyear insole toe snipping machine as dlsclosed 1n Patent No. 1,087,578, granted February 17,

1914, upon application of J ohn B. Hadaway.

Machines of this type'are commonly employed to form cuts in an insole adjacent to the toe and transversely of the channel flaps or lips which have been already formed, or which are subsequently to be formed, by a channeling operation upon the insole,

accurately and with certainty not only angu but also longitudinally and laterally larly toaplurality of tools or to a with respect single tool.

Accordingly, the present invention prorides means by the use of which notonly will a sole, placed upon a work table, be'thus positioned operating tool or tools will likewise be posie tioned with respect to such a sole. It is important for securing ahighquality of product, in case of a plurality of toolsor of a single tool with an elongated operating portion, that the tools or theelongated portion of the tool shall occupy a definite, predetermined relation to some line or contour of the sole. For example, the axisof the edge of a snippi'ng cutter should'preferably be substantially perpendicular to a tangent to the curved line of the channel at the toe of an insolef Hence, in order that a an insole, may be presented accurately in proper relation to an operating tool or tools, a pair of parallel links'forsupporting and holder together with means for I 'moving the'holder in substantially a rectiin accordance with one feature of the present invention, there is provided a work support or table and means for supporting it for I movement about an axis substantially perpendicular to the work engaging surface of the table together with atool having an elongated operatingpo'r- ,tion, the tool being-movable angularly with the table and also movable independently toward and from the table, and gaging United States Letters v An important desideratum in such ma exerted by Preferably, in its own plane, but also an shoe part, s'uclr as means mounted. on the table for position- OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW ing' the work by engagement with opposite edges thereof. The illustrated machine comprises gaging devices for engaging the edge of a sole, which devices, togetherwith the operating tool or tools and the work support, are movable angularly in response to pressure exerted through the" sole so that the sole will be brought with certainty in predetermined relation to, the gaging devices and thereby to the tool. I

., Inasmuch as insoles tolbe operated upon;

may be relatively flimsy, a feature of the ,in- 'VGIltlOll comprises improved work gaging mechanism including means for limitingthe maximum degree of pressure which may be the gages upon the work. More specifically, there is provided in the illustrated machine a clutch and to maintain the clutch inoperative and also a single actuator through which not; only may a-pair of gages be moved into engagement with opposite edges of a sole but the,

clutch may also be thrown into operation.

the construction and arrangement are such that the operator, by moving a treadle or other. lever, will first bring one 'or more pairs of edge gages into engagement with the sole and cause them to exert an increasing pressure thereon until the predetermined force by which the clutch is being held out of operationhas been overcome after which the clutch will be thrown into operation but the'operator can theremeans tending l after exert no greater pressure upon the edge of'the'sol'e and thus any curling up of the edge of the sole is avoided.

fAnother feature of the present invention relates to improved cutter supporting and operating mechanism which, as illustrated, comprises acutter holder and connections therefrom to a rotary work table including guiding the linear path toward and from the table.

"In addition to the ferred to, the present invention comprises also other combinations and arrangements and details of construction which will now be described in connection with the accom features already res an in drawingswhich illustrate a re; a 2 v M :l'ierred embodiment of the invention, and will then be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

i is a side elevation oi. a machine which is particularly adapted for shipping or slashing the toe ends of insoles, the supporting column of the machine being omitted;

Fig. 2 is a plan view, partly in section, showing the work table and sole positioning devices oi the machine; 1

Fig. 3 is a view in end elevation, partly in section, of substantially the same portion of the machii'ie;

l ig. is a view in perspective of the knife holder; and

Fig. 5 is a detail view of a modified form of one of the side gages which includes a holddown that may be employed for par ticularly flimsy or flexible insoles.

In certain respects the present invention is a further development of the invention disclosed and claimed in applicants prior application, Serial No. 606,87 9, filed December 14-, 1922.

As illustrated, the frame of the machine includes a head from which extends forwardly a base plate having a socket 12 in which lies a ball bearing 14 for the base 16 of a work support or table 18 which base has a depending hub 20. Upon the upper, horizontal surface of the table is secured a toe gage 26 while two pairs of side games, in, the form of pins 28, extend through s ots 30 .in the table. These side gages are secured to the upper arms of hell crank levers 32 pivoted upon pins 34 which are secured by set-screws 36 to the table unit. The two bell cranks oi each pair are connected to move together by segment gears 38. The lower arm of one o l the bell cranks of each pair is provided with a slot 40 in which slides a pin 42 which, as shown particularly in Fig. 52, is mounted in an equalizing lever 44 pivoted at 46 in the head 48 ot a stem 50 which is freely movable vertically in a sleeve 52 fittii'ig within the hub 20. A coiled spring 54 bearing against the lower end 01 the slide 50 and resting against an adjustable screw 56 threaded into the lower end of the sleeve 52 tends constantly to hold the gages oi" each pa r separated, their out-ward movement about the pins 34 being limited by adjustable screws 58, The stem-5O is Caused to rotate with the sleeve 52 by a key 60 while the sleeve 52 is caused to rotate with the hub 20 by a screw 62.

The mechanism by which the edge gages are brought into engagement with an insole, such as is indicated at I in Fig. 2, comprises a lever 66 in which is secured a button 68 resting upon the top of the head 48 and pivoted at 70 to a bell crank lever 71 in turn pivoted upon the machine frame M772 and connected by a link 74; to a lever 76 forming part of a clutch actuating mechanism which is designated generally by the character 78 and which includes a coiled spring 80 that constantly exerts a predetermined force upon one of the members of the clutch 81 and tends to maintain the clutch normally out of operation. The clutch members are carried upon a main shaft 82 which is connected through the clutch to a loose driving pulley 84. The mechanism by which the edge gages 28 are pressed against the edge of the sole I, against the resistance of spring 54,. and by which also the clutch is thrown into operation against the resistance of spring 80 comprises a rod 88 having an enlarged head 90 connected to the lever 66 at 92 and actuated through a treadle (not shown). This rod 88 passes through an adjustable, threaded sleeve 94 screwed into a part of the machine frame. A collar 96 secured to the rod 88, by coming into engagement with the lower face of sleeve 94, limits the upward movement oi. the rod while its downward movement is limited by the engagement of head 90 with sleeve 94:- Normally the edge 28 are held in separated position, determined by the screws 58, and

the clutchis held out of operative position by'sprmgs 54 and 80, the collar 96 being in engagement with the sleeve 94. During the depression of the treadle and of the rod 88, the relatively light spring 54: is compressed and the edge gages 28 are brought into on gagement with the edge of the sole and caused to exert thereon an increasing pres sure. The relative strengths of springs 54 and 80 and the adjustment 0'? screw are preferably so proportioned that after the pressure exerted by the four edge gages upon the sole has reached a predetermined amount, as, for example, for a particular quality of insoles, somewhat less than half a pound at each gage, the resistance of spring 80 is overcome so that further depression of the treadle causes the clutch 81 to be thrown into operation, whereupon the head 90 of rod 88 comes into engagement with the sleeve 94 with the result that, even it the attendant continues to press the treadle, there can be no. increase in the pres sure exerted by the gages 28 upon the insole. By adjusting screw 56, the "Force exerted by spring; against inward movement of the gages and consequently the maxin'ium pre.

sure which can be exerted by the gages upon the insole through the depression of the treadle, before the clutch is thrown in, can be adjusted. A greater variation in the maximum pressure may be secured by substituting a heavier or lighter spring for the spring 54-.

The clutch 81 and its actuating mechanism 78 may be, and as shown are, of. a'well known type, similar, for example, to that Mil lilo

: these blocks is independently fully disclosed in Letters Patent No. 1,087,578, above referred to. This construction is such. that, at the end of a single revolution of the main shaft 82 and after a single cutting stroke of the operating tools, the clutch will be automatically rendered inoperative. .As illustrated, the operating tools comprise a knife 97 provided with a V -shaped cutting edge and a horizontally adJustable L-shaped knife 98 bar ing a straight cutting ed e; ently secured by clamping screws to their respective knife blocks 99, 100and each of adj ustable vertically by means of screws 101 which fit slots 102 in a knife holder 103-. The lower end of a plate 104 which forms a part of the knife holder and lies between the two knife blocks constitutes a presscr foot with relation to which each. knife block and the knife clamped therein is adjustable vertically to ,vary the depth to which the knivescan' penetrate the insole. After the knife blocks have beenadjusted to the desired vertical position by screws 101, they are clampedin such position and to the knife holder by a single clamping stud or screw 105 which is threaded-into the knife block "100 through slots in the knife block 99 and'in the plate 104. It will he notedthat with this construction, by taking out the clamping stud 105, the knife blocks with their knives clamped thereto may readily be removed from the machinefor sharpening'or other purposes and then may be replaced without loss of adjustment. The knife holder 103 is supported. and guided to move in a substantially vertical line by ap'air of parallel links 106 pivoted tothe knife holder 103 at 107, 108 and to a bracket 109, extending upwardly from table 18,upon fulcra 110, 111. It may be noted that, in. order to provide a compact and'eifective arrangement, the axis of the knife holder is somewhat in the rear of the axis about which it and the work table turn with the result that during such turning the point of contact between the tool holder and the button 120, below referred to, shifts slightly laterally. spring 112, connected to an extension of one of the links 106, tends .to hold the links and the knife holder in their uppermost position'de termined by the engagement of a lug 1117 upon one of the links with a stop screw 11S threaded into the bracket 109. F or imparting to the knives and their holder an opera tive cutting stroke toward and from the work table 18, there is provided abell crank lever 122 which is provided with a button 120 to engage the upper end of the tool holder and which is pivoted to the frame at 124. Pivoted at 126 in a forked portion of the lever 122 is a block 128 through which These two knives are each independ passesan eccentric rod 132 having an enla'rgedhead130 to engage the block 128 with which it is normally held in contact by a coiled spring 134 interposed between the block 128' and check nuts 1136 upon rod 132 by an eccentric 138 upon which is actuated With this construction,

the main shaft 82.

it. will be noted that the knife holder 103 is free-to adjust itself angularly with the table 18 about the vertical axis of the table so that in whatever position the holder may be it can be operated. by the lever ing mechanism.

122 and its actuat- ,1

As shown in Fig. 5, when the machine is I to be employed to operate on particularly flimsy or flexible insoles, some or all of the gage pins 28 may each-be provided with a holddown in the form of an arm 140 secured adjustably, asby a set screw 142, tothe gage in andpreferably at such' a distance from the table 18 that the holddown 140 Will be nearlyor actually in contact with the upper face of'the insole when thegageis .in contact with the insole edge and thusrestrain the insole from curling or buckling. a

The manner in which the machine operates has been already indicated but it will now'be. described briefly; The parts being in the position'shown in Figs. 1 and 8, the

operator places an insole I upon-the table 18 and presses its toe end continuously against the toe gage 26. l-Ie then depresses the treadle until all of the side gages 28 come into contact 'with the edge of the insole. If one of the gages of either pair, during such depression, engages the insole before the companion gage, itwill push the forepart of the insole laterally along the table into contact with the companion gage If both of the gages of a pair contact with the insolebefore both of the gages of the other pair have done so, continued movement of the treadle acting through the equalizer 44: will finally bring all fourof the side gages into contact with the insole. If during this actuation of the side gages the insole should be so held by'the operator that the median line of'the forepart of the insole did not coincltle with the. median line determined the four side gages, then the fourth gage would still be out of contact with the insole when the third gage had come into suchcontact and the further movement of the treadle would cause the table 18 with the tool holder .103 and its associated partsto turn on its ball bearing 14; about the axisof the table until thefourth gage made such contactand until such coincidence was effected, so that finally, under all circumstances, the insole is accurately centered with respect to the gages and with respect to the snipping knives, thus insuring an exact, unvarying location of the insole on the table longitudinally, laterally and angularly.

of the knives and presser foot 104:. Thereafter any further movement of the rod 132 causes head 130 to move awayfrom block 128, the spring 341- being compressed, so

that each of the cuts in the insole has a depth which is predetermined although it may be varied as desired through independent ad justment of screws 101. The knife holder 103 then returns to the position shown in Fig, 1 under the influence of spring 112 and the clutch is auton'iatically thrown out of operation, the treadle being released to permit its connected mechanism to return to the position shown in Fig. 3.

Having thus indicated the nature and scope of the invention and having described in detail a machine in which it has been embodied, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A machine for operating upon soles having, in combination, a frame, a work table and a power shaft mounted in the frame, said. table being freely rotatable about a substantially vertical axis, while a sole is being located on the table, a bracket carried by said table, a cutter having an elongated cutting edge and carried by said bracket and constructed and arranged for movement substantially parallel to said axis toward and from said table, and operative connections between said power shaft and said cutter.

2. .111 a machine for operating upon. soles, the combination of a horizontal work support freely movable about a vertical axis which passes through said support adjacent to the operating point, a cutter carried by and movable angularly with said support, and power Il'JOCllflIllSl'l'l for moving said cutter substantially parallel to said toward and from said support.

3. In a machine for operating upon parts of shoes, the combination of a work table, means for supporting said table constructed and arranged to permit movement thereof about an axis substantially perpendicular to the work engaging surface of the table, a tool having an elongated operating portion and being movable angularly with said table and also movable independently to-- ne /revs ward and from the table, and gaging means mounted on the table for positioning the work by engagement with opposite edges thereof.

' a. In a machine for operating upon soles, the combination of a work table, a reciproeating tool having an elongated operating portion, gaging devices for engaging opposite edges of a sole supported by the table, said table, tool and gaging devices being n'iovable angularly together while said devices are successively engaged with the sole.

5. In a machine for operating upon soles, the combination of a work table, a tool having an elongated operating end and being movable substantially perpendicular to the sole engaging surface of the table, an end gage, two pairs of side gages for engaging opposite edges of the sole, said table, tool and gages being angularly movable together, and means for relatively operating said gages to cause them to centralize the sole with respect to the tool.

(3. A machine for operating upon soles having, in combination, a frame, an angularly movable work table, a tool having an elongated operating end and being movable angularly with the table, means for supporting the table constructed and arranged to permit movement of the table through a substantial are about an aXis substantially perpendicular to and lntersectmg the sole engaging surface of the table, and gaging 7 means for opposite edges of the sole.

7. In a machine for operating upon soles, the combination of a work table, aslitting cutter carried by the table, said table and cutter being mounted for rotation about an axis intersecting the line determined by the edge of the cutter, an end gage and two pairs of side gages movable with the table, means including an equalizer for moving all of the side gages into contact with the edge of a sole supported upon the table, and means for moving the cutter toward and from the sole.

8. In a machine for operating upon soles, the combination of an angularly movable work table, a plurality of cutters carried by and movable angularly with said table and constructed andarranged to form a plurality of cuts adjacent to the toe of an insole, and means for moving said cutters toward and from an insole supported upon the table.

9. In a machine for operating upon parts of shoes, the combination of a work support, a tool carried 'by and movable angularly with said support and also movable independently toward and from the support, and a plurality of pairs of connected positionmg gages movable relatively to the support to determine the position of the work.

10. In a machine for operating upon soles, the combination of a work table, a cutter from said support, atoe gageon having an elongated edge and carried by "of said gages into engagement with the sole.

11. In a iiiacliinefo operating upon soles, the coii'ibination of' a horizontal sole 'sup port, an operating tool movable toward and saidsupport, two pairs of connected side gages movable about horizontal axes into engagement with the edge of a sole upon said support, one pair being located near the toe gage an another pair further therefrom, andmeans' including an equalizer for moving the side gages-into engagement with thesole;

12. In a machine for operating upon soles, the combination of a sole support movable through a substantial arc, elongated operating end andb'eing carried by the support and constructed and arranged tooperate-in a defiiiite angular relation to a sole upon said support, a. pluralityjof'gages movable with said support, and means for moving said ga'ges'and tool successively into engagement with the sole while permitting angular movement of the tool and support; x

13. ln'ainachine' for o eratin u on soles" g the combination of a rotary work table, a cutter having an elongated' cutting edge, a

t holder forvthe cutter, connectionsincluding parallel links betweenrsaid table and said holder, and means for moving the holderrin substantially a rectilinear path toward and from said table. i

14. A machine having, in combinatiom a table supported by and angularly movable iii the frame, a gage constructed and arfor operating upon soles ranged for movement to and from the edge of a sole supported on the table, a lever supported on the frame against angular movement with the table, and operative connections between the lever and the gage by which the gage may be moved into engagement with the sole.

15. A machine for operating upon soles having, in combination, a frame, a power shaft, a horizontal work table movable through a substantial arc about a vertical axis, a tool movable angularly with the table and also movable independently toward and from the table, gages constructed and arranged for movement toward and from the edge of'a sole supported one the table, operative connections between the power shaft and the tool, and meansincluding parts supported on the frame through which the gages may be moved toward and from the sole. p i

1611i sole positioning device having, 111

moved' into engagement with V 17. In a machine for operating upon soles,

a tool having an lyingthereon, and

"ment with the edge of the frame, a work combination, a sole support, a plurality of pairs of connectedpositioning. gages movable'about axes substantially parallel to the sole-engaging surface of said support into and out of engagement with a sole upon said support, yielding means move the gages away from the sole, and means including an equalizing device through which all of the gages may be the sole, r

the combination of a clutch, means tending to maintain theclutch-inoperative, a work support, a pair of movable edge gages, and a single actuator through which'the gages (1 may be moved into engagement with opposite edges of a sole andthe clutch thrown into OPBlfltlOIL: a I

18'. Ina machine for operating upon soles,

the combination of" a clutch, means-tending to hold the clutch in inoperative position, a-

a I gage movable laterally work sup-port, along said support toward and from a sole a single actuator through which the-gage is sole and then, has exerted a after the gage the clutch is thrownv into pressure thereon, operation. a I y Y i 19. A. machineffor operating upon shoe parts, the combinationnof a: plurality of ages movable into and out of contact. with the work,' 1means through which a predetermined but adjustable force may be 'exerted upon said" gages to: resist movement thereof into engagement-with the work, and means controlled by the operator for overcoming that force and pressing the gages against the work with a predetermined pres;

sure.

r 20. In a machine foroperating upon soles,

the combination of a clutch, actuating means therefor constructed and arranged'to exert a predetermined resistance against the throwing ofthe clutch into operation, a pair of gages movable into' and out of contact with the edge of a sole, means controlled by the operator for pressing the gages against the sole edge with an increasing pressure,

from said means to the clutch actuating means so constructed and arranged that the clutch will be thrown into operation as soon as the gages exert apredetermined pressure upon the sole.

21. vAn insole toe shipping machine hava frame, a power shaft, a clutch, a work table, a plurality of snip ping cutters, a holder in which said cutters are adjustably secured, said table and holder being movable together in the frame through a substantial arc, a plurality of gages movable-toward and from the edge of an insole supported upon the table, connections fromsaid shaft to said holder for moving-the cutand connections ing, in combination,

"ters in substantially a rectilinear path tofirst moved into engage- 7U acting norn'iallyto I predeterii'iined ward and from the insole, and means controlled by the operator for pressing the gages against the sole edge with a predetermined pressure upon the attainment of which the clutch is thrown automatically into operation.

22. In a machine for operating upon soles, the combination of a work support, a pair of gages, means through which said gages may be pressed against opposite edges of a sole and a holddown secured to each gage and arranged to extend over the face of the sole and also having provision for adjustment according to the thickness of the sole.

23. In a machine for operating on insoles, the combination of a work support, a plurality of gages movable toward and from the'edge of an insole lying on said support, mechanism through which an operator may press said gages against the edge of the insole including means for equalizing and limiting the degree "of pressure exerted by the several gages on the insole whatever the force exerted by the operator on said mechanism may be, and means by which the maximum pressure may be adjusted.

24. In a machine for operating on insoles,

.the combination *of a work support, two

pairs of gages movable toward and from the edge of an insole lying on said support, means tending normally to hold said gages in inoperative position, and mechanism by which an operator may press said gages against the edge of the insole including means for equalizing and limiting the de gree of pressure exerted by the several gages on the insole whatever the force of the pressure exerted by the operator may be.

against the sole and for gradually overcom- 1 ing the resistance of .the clutch actuating means, and a stop for limiting the pressure which can be applied to the sole by said gages after the clutch has been thrown into operation.

26. In a machine for operating upon soles, the combination of a knife holder, two knife blocks mounted upon the holder, two knives independently secured to the respective blocks, and a single clamping device for securing both blocks to the holder.

27. In a machine for operating upon soles, the combination of a knife holder, a pair of knife blocks adj-listably mounted upon opposite sides of the holder and a single clamping stud for securing bothknife blocks in adjusted position to the holder.

28. In a machine for operating upon soles, the combination of a knife holder, a pair of knife blocks each provided With an adjusting screw, a pair of knives secured to the respective blocks, a single clamping stud for securing both knife blocks in adjusted posi tion on the holder, and means for reciprocating the holder.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

FREDERIC E. BERTRAN 1). 

